Process for separating wax from oil



D. E. CARR PROCESS FOR SEPARTING WAX FROM Jan; 2s, 1941.

Filed 000. 18, 1937 Patented Jan. 28, 1941 uNrrsD s STAT-Es 2,229,659 PRCESS FOR SEPARATING FRM om Donald E. Carr, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Union Oil Company of California, Calif., a, corporation of California Los Angeles,

Application october 18, 1937, Serial No. 169,641

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to the separation of oil and wax from wax-oil mixtures such as waxy oils or oily waxes. The invention also relates to a process for separating wax and oil from wax oil mixtures to produce low pour test lubricating oils and oil-free waxes of high melting point. The invention relates particularly to an improvement in crystallization regulators.

In a conventional process for separating wax from oils, the oil is dissolved in a solvent or mixture of solvents at an elevated temperature and then the solution is chilled to a sulciently low temperature to effect precipitation of the wax which is subsequently removed by filtration, settling or centrifuging. In some cases, a small amount of a wax separation aid or crystallization regulator is mixed with the oil prior to the admixture with the solvent. This material is also precipitated with the wax. ployed are those which show a preferential solubility for oil over wax at the dewaxing temperature, such as various mixtures of benzene and acetone, benzene and methyl ethyl ketone, propane.' naphtha, etc. These solvents are very iluid at low temperatures and reduce the viscosity of the oil to such an extent that very low temperatures -may be employed with the result that oils dewaxed by this type of operation may have pour points lower than 0 F. Washing of the wax cake on the filter with fresh cold solvent is usually carried out. However, the type of structure assumed by the wax when precipitated from the solvents adapted for use is such that the wax cake is very voluminous and porous. This leads to rapid ltration but the cake retains a large amount of solvent and dissolved oil and its porosity causes it to wash poorly.. It is not unusual forwashed wax cakes obtained in this type of operation to contain as much as 60% or more of oil. The weight of solvent present in the .socalled dry cake is usually two ,to four times that cracking leads` to very poor washing qualities.

The above is particularly true in the refining of' wax-oil mixtures containing high melting point waxes as in the case of distilled oils of high viscosity. It has been observed that such oils form morevoluminous precipitates than oils containing low melting waxes when equal weights of the two waxes are crystallized from equal injythe same solvent. As aresult when an oil containing high melting point wax is dewaxed by the aforementioned solvent dcwaxing processes,

dewaxing processes employingV occurring crystallization The solvents em- .tallization regulator either before and such I (Cl. 196-18l the yield of `dvr-,waxed oil is lower than that obtained by dewaxing in the same solvent and in the same solvent ratio, an oil which contains the same amount of low melting point wax. The reason for this is that the more voluminous wax 5 cake obtained from the oil containing high melting point wax retains a greater percentage of the oil-solvent solution than does the less voluminous Wax cake obtained from the oil containing the low melting point wax. This dilerence in yield 10 is especially noticeable in the dewaxing of solvent-extracted ranates of high wax contents as been stripped of any naturallyregulators by the process of solvent extraction.

Consequently, in order to recover an oil-free wax from the thus produced slack wax, it is necessary to subject the slack wax to further treatment. One of the methods commonly employed to decil such waxes is the so-called sweating 20 processes. However, such processes are slow and inelectual to produce waxes of extremely low oil contents. Another method which has been suggested is to disperse the Wax in a suitable solvent having a low solvent power for wax at the tem- 25 perature of operation and then separate the undissolved wax from the oil and solvent. By properly adjusting the temperature of dispersion, it is possible to dissolve oil and low melting point waxes solvent and thereby made from crystallization regulator, it is necessary to remove the crysthe deoiling 35 phuric acid and/or clay. Y

Thus it is observed in the aforementioned proc- 40 ess that a considerable portion of the oil is lost to he low melting point waxes resulting from the 4lization regulator are soluble in the solvent at the temperature employed and if this solution, either waxes. Also, I may obtain a higher yield of low pour point oil in `the same operation. Thus'the duced to that required in starting up the process which amount is recovered by the deoiling solvent and recycled to a fresh batch of stock to be dewaxed. The oil in the slack wax processed in the deoiling operation is also recovered by the deoiling solvent along with low melting point waxes, which oil is recovered as low pour point oil by being reprocessed inthe dewaxing process.

I have found it to be perfectly feasible to dewax oil under conditions in which the solubility of wax is sufficiently low to produce low pour point oil, to deol the slack wax under conditions in which a fraction of this wax and also the crystallization regulator is soluble in the ltrate, and to recycle this second ltrate through the dewaxing process. The feasibility of this process may be explained by the following principles: In the dewaxing of wax-oil mixtures, the wax content of the nitrate stream is determined solely by the conditions of wax separation, i`. e., temperature and amount of diluent or solventemployed. Low melting point wax, for example. has at a given temperature, a, certain solubility in a given solvent. The amount of a given wax fraction present in a given filtrate will of course not exceed the equilibrium concentrations of this nitrate for this fraction. Therefore, since the conditions during the deoiling operation uniquely determine the concentration of the low melting point wax in the recycled filtrate, the result over a series of cycles will necessarily be that the low melting point wax content of the `deoiled wax is increased until a steady state isvreached, at which point -the slack wax will remain with' the undissolved high melting point wax. Since oil is more soluble in the solvent at the temperature employed, the result will be that as between the oil and the low melting point waxes. the solvent will have a preferential solubility for the oil, thereby dissolving all of the oil and such amount of the low melting point waxes as will saturate the solvent.

point waxes. Since the repeated recycling of the deoiling ltrate to the dewaxing process builds up a concentration of the low melting point waxes in the slack wax, a given' amount of deoiling solvent will necessarily become saturated with oil and low melting point waxes after a number of recyclings, leaving the excess of low melting point waxes with the high melting point waxes. The amount of low melting point waxes stripped of solvent or containing the solvent, is

amount of crystallization regulator will be re-4 separating a will be apparent from the the concentration of low melting point wax in i The excess of low melting point wax will remain as insoluble fractions with the high melting remaining kundissolved with the high'meltng pointfwaxes will steadily increase with each recycling of deoiling filtrate until equilibrium is reached, at which point theamount of low melting point waxes in the deoiling filtrate remains constant and the amount of low melting point wax in the undissolved high melting point wax also remains constant and the latterfraction represents the entire range of wax fractions present in the original stock to 4be dewaxed. However, the wax fraction will befcompletely deoiled since the solvent has a preferential solubility for the oil. The amount of oil in the slack wax entering the deoiling process is more or less constant so that if-the proper amount of deoiling solvent is chosen, it will not become fully saturated with oil and, consequently, at least all of the oil will be removed from the slack wax. The deoiled wax cake, following the deoiling step, may then be redispersed in additional solvent and filtered at a higher temperature than employed in the dewaxing or deoiling operations in 'order to separate the deoiled wax into low and high melting point fractions.

Thus, it is an object of my invention to separate wax-oil mixtures into its constituent components inv a very simple and economical manner.

A further objectfof my invention resides in wax-oil mixture into substantially oil-free .wax of high melting point and wax-free i oil of low pour test.

yAn. important object of my, invention is to economize in the amount of crystallization regulator used in the process and to limit the amount used to substantially that necessary to start up the process.

Another object of my invention is to recover a greater amount of the low pour test oil present in Wax-oil mixtures than heretofore recovered .in simple operations..`

Other objects and features of my invention following description of the invention.

According to my invention, I carry out the process of separating a wax-oil mixture into its constituent components in two stages of operation. In the first, I effect thevseparation of substantially all of the wax contained in the Wax-oil mixture and thereby produce a low pour point oil. In the second stage, I effect the deoiling of In the first stage. I employ a.

solvent which is capable of dissolving the crystalv lization regulator and'I employ temperature conditions such that the crystallization regulator and a portion of the low melting point waxes are dissolved in the solvent and return this mixture either with or without the contained solvent to the first stage.

The first stage of dewaxing may be carried out in accordance with any of the methods now employed for dewaxing oils. For example, I may mix the waxy stock with a small amount (0.5 to 2%) of crystallization regulator at atemperature suiiiciently elevated to effect 'solution of the crystallization regulator in the waxy stock 'and then dilute the waxy stock with sufficient solvent or diluent to produce a non-viscous slurry ture. The solution is then chilled to a sumeient- 1y low temperature to crystallize substantially all wax from the oil and solvent. It is preferable to wash the wax cake with a further quantity of solventI precooled to the wax separation temperature.

fill

As solvents of duuents for this stage of the process, I may employ liqueed normally gaseous hydrocarbons, such as ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, butane, iso-butane, butylene, or mix tures thereof; normally liquid hydrocarbons such as pentane, hexane, etc., other liqueed normally gaseous diluents, such as methyl ether, methyl chloride. dichlor-diuor-methane, etc., casinghead gasoline, naplitha, acetone, esters, mixtures of benzene and acetone and mixtures of the above. The normally gaseous diiuents, in addition to diluting the oil so as to permit rapid-ltration, also have the desired property of chilling the waxy stock when evaporated from the solution under reduced pressure. o

As crystallization regulators I prefer to employ such materials as will dissolve in the waxystock at elevated temperatures, but which' precipitates :from solution with the wax when the solution is chilled to a sufciently low temperature.v I also prefer to employ crystallization regulators which will be dissolved -by the solvent, employed inthe deoiling operation. Such; crystallization regulators are asphalt, oxidized wax, condensation products of chlorinated waxes with benzene, naphthaiene, or other aromatic compounds, stearene pitch, cracked residuum pitch, highly polymerized olenes such as is obtained by drastically polymerizing iso-butylene, `uinoxidized or oxidized degras or lanolin or wool grease or mixtures of aforementioned crystallization regulators.

Thesecond stage of operation is on the slack wax resulting from the first stage of dewaxing for the purpose of removing oil therefrom. In this second stage, I prefer to heat the slack wax to a temperature suillciently elevated to dissolve the wax in its contained oil. and-to drive oil the solvent associated therewith'. The molten wax is then introduced into a chilling and mixing column which is provided with paddles and Scrapers and is surrounded with a cooling jacket. The molten wax is then slowly cooled to atmospheric temperature or lower while maintaining the waxoil mixture iiuid by continual stirring. The thus cooled wax-oil mixture is then mixed or dispersed'with a small amount of a poor wax solvent, i. e .,one which hasV a low solvent power for wax at the temperature employed. The resulting slurry is then iiltered and the wax cake depositing in the filtering element is washed with-a further amount of the solvent. i

. I have found that under such conditions of operations, the greater percentage of wax separates or crystallizes in the form lof large, well-dened,

oil-free crystals. The subsequent addition of the solvent to the cooled wax does notchange the crystal structure, nor dissolve appreciable quan@ titles of the crystallized wax, and a slurry is thus formed which filters very rapidlyr Also, a com-1 pact wax cake is formed on the filter which 'will -not crack during filtration, or while washing with solvent. The wax cake will contain less than 1% of oil and be very light in color so that a treatmerit with 1% t0 5% of filter clay at 350-400.F.

will make a vwater-white marketable product of it, no acid treatment being necessary.

' mixed either prior to any cooling or f cooling of the wax.

stripped oi the contained solvent and the solventfree ltrate is mixed with another batchof waxy stock to be dewaxed in the first stage. If the solvent employed in the deoiling step is similar to that of the first stage, the nitrate from the deoiling step may be passed directly to the iirst stage without prior` stripping of solvent.; This may also be accomplished when the first dewaxing'stage is carried out with mixed solvents and the deoiling step is carried out with one of the solvents forming the mixed solvent.

In cases of slack waxes, which at tempera- -tures even above 100 F., are extremely viscous so thatlit is diiiicuit to continue the cooling with stirring to atmospheric temperatures or lower,

it is preferable to mix a small amount of the non-` viscous solvent with thewax at a point during cooling when tlie mass becomes diiilcult to stir or even before.` The remaining solvent may then be added after the mixture has beeny cooled to the desired temperature. The amountof solvent used will depend, of course, upon the desired viscosity of the Vresulting slurry. It is merely necessary to use anamount of solvent to lower the viscosity of the oil suillciently to obtain rapid illtration. I have found that I may use as little as 0.25 to 0.75 volume of solvent per volume of the wax treated to obtain a slurry which lters readily, although I have used as much as 1.5 to

2.5 volumes of the solvent. If desired a light hyy drocarbon oil fraction, such asa light lubricating oil or gas oil from which wax is known to separate by cooling in the crystal form may be used to reduce'the viscosity of the wax. This'niay be after partial As solvents for the deoiling operation, I may use ketones, such as methyl ethyl ketone. acetone, etc., alcohols such as butyl, amyl, propyl alcohol, etc., esters such as ethyl acetate; ethers such as di-ethyl ether, iso-propyl ether, etc; chlorinated hydrocarbons such as ethylene dichloride, Atri` 'chlorethylena etc. In some cases where wax-oil mixtures containing oil of high viscosity-index are to be treated, Ivmay lemploy a mixture of benzene or naphtha or an aromatic solvent and any of the above solvents in order to obtain complete miscibiiity` of the oil in the wax-oil mixture with the solvents at the temperature of op eration.

While'I prefer to carry out the deoiling opera-I tion. in the above manner, it will be understood that other methods of deoiling maylbeemployed which are eilective to separate the low melting point waxes, oil and crystallization regulator from the slack wax. These may then be recycled to oil to be'dewaxed. For example, I may dissolve the slack w'ax in a solvent and thenchill the solution to crystallize a part of the wax fromv solution to producea slurry which is then ltered. The filtrate may then be recycled to the dewaxing stage, and if the same solvent is employed for the deoiling as forthe 'dewaxing operation, the nitrate may be passed directly to the dewaxing stage. However, in this process the separation of oil from the slack wax is not as complete as in the hereinabove described method since the crystal formation is not of the desired type and also the wax cake cracks badly during ltration and/or washing. However, such methods of treating the slack wax are employed and my invention resides in an improvement thereon.

The method of operation of my invention may perhaps be better understood by reference to the description of the drawing. drawing, a waxy stock, for example, a raillnate derived from the selective solvent extraction of an S. A. E. 50 waxy distillate produced by the vacuum distillation of a Santa Fe Springs crude oil, or the raw distillate itself, or other raw distillates or railinates obtained from waxy .crude oils or a crude oil residue containing wax is withdrawn from tank I via line 2, controlled by valve 3, and is pumped by pump 4 into line 5 into which a small amount, i. e. 1% of a crystallization regulator such as oxidized wax orasphalt is introduced via line 5, controlled by valve 1. The mixture is then passed through mixer 8 where the lter aid is completely dissolved at an elevated temperature and then passes into line 9 where 'it is mixed with solvent; for example,liquefled propane under pressure withdrawn from tank via line |I, controlled by valve I2 and pumped by pump I4 through line I5 into line 9. The solution of propane and oil is then passed under pressure into chiller I5 where the solution is chilled to a suillciently low temperature to crystallize substantially all of the wax contained in the solution. The chilling may be accomplished by opening valve I8 on line I1 which reducesv the pressure in the chiller and allows a portion of the propane to vaporize. By reducing the pressure to atmospheric, temperatures as low as -40 F.

may be obtained on the resulting slurry in the chiller. It is preferable to reduce the pressure gradually during the chilling so that the chilling rate is not appreciably greater than 3 or 4 F. per

minute. Propane vaporized from the solution passes via line I1 and valve I8 to the suction of compressor I9 where the gases are compressed and passed into line and condenser 2| where the propane is condensed.- The condensed propane is returned to storage tank I0 via line 22.

When a temperature of about 0 to 40 F. is attained in lthe chiller, the resul-ting slurry is withdrawn via line 23 controlled by valve 24, and is pumped by pump 25 into filter 25 where the wax suspended in the slurry is separated from the oil and propane. The filtrate is passed via line 21 through heater 28 where the temperature 'is raised to permit vaporization of the propane from the oil and the heated mixture is passed via, line 29 into evaporator 30, provided with closed` heating coil 3| and mist extractor' 32 where the4 propane is vaporized from the dewaxed oil. The

A dewaxed oil is vwithdrawn via line 33, controlled by valve 34, and is pumped by pump through line 80 into storage tank 31.

The wax in fllter 20 `is withdrawn via line 38, controlled by valve 39 and is pumped by pump 40 through line 4|., heater 42 and line 43 into vevap'- orator 44 provided with closed heating coil 45 and mist extractor where propane vis separated from the wax. 'I'he propane vaporized in evaporator 38 is withdrawn via line 41, controlled by valve 48 and that vaporized in evaporator 44 is withdrawn via line49vcontrolled by valve 50 and the propane vapors are compressed in compressor I8, condensed in condenser 2| and returned to storage'tank I8. d

'I'he molten slack wax is withdrawn from the bottom of evaporator 44 via line 5I controlled by valve 82 and is pumped by pump 53 through line Referring to the.

is provided with a jacket 56, into which a cooling liquid to cool the wax-oil mixture may be introduced via line 51 and withdrawn via line 88. Column 55 is also provided with agitating or stirring paddles and scrapers 59on shaft 80 which is rotated by pulley 8| connected to asuitable source of power, not shown. The Vmolten waxoil mix-ture is gradually cooled in column 55 to the desired temperature while it is constantly stirred by the agitating paddles and scrapers. The stirring is conducted very slowly at a rate merely sumcientto prevent the 'wax-oil mixtures from setting up into a solid non-fluid mass.

When the desired temperature on the wax-oil mixture has been reached, a poor wax solvent such as methyl ethyl ketone, or other poor wax solvents herein mentioned. is mixed withk the waxoil mixture in order to produce a slurry which lters readily. Such solvents may be mixed with the cooled wax-oil mixture in column 55 and are withdrawn from storage tank 62 via line 63 controlled 'by valve 64 and pumped by pump 65 through line 6B and cooler 51 and line 68, controlled by valve 59 and line 10 into the column. The solvent is preferably cooled to the tempera- A ture prevailing in the column or to a lower temperature so as to prevent re-solution of crystallized wax. If desired, a por-tion ofthe solvent may be mixed with the wax-oil mixture prior-to cooling of the latter to Ithe nal filtration tem` perature.

After thesolvent has been mixed with the cooled wax-oil mixture containingithe desired crystallized wax, the resulting slurry is withdrawn from the bottom of the column via line 1| controlled by valve 12, and the slurry is pumped by pump 13 through line 14 to filter 15 where thewax suspended in the slurry by chilling is separated from the solution. The solution' is then passed through line 16, heater 11 and line 18 into evaporator 19, provided with closed heating coil 80 and mist extractor 8|.

'I'he wax separated in lter 15 is withdrawn via line 82 controlled by valve 83 and is pumped by pump 84 through heater 85 and line 88 into evaporator 81 providedwith closed heating coil 88 and mist extractor 89. The solvent-free wax is withdrawn from the evaporator via line 90, controlled by valve 9| and is pumped by pump 92 through line 93'into storage tank 94. This wax may be fractionated into relatively low and relatively high melting point waxes in fractionator 95 in the manner as explained above.

Priorto the removal of the wax cake depositing on the :filtering element of illter 15, it is preferable to wash the wax cake with a small amount of the same solvent from tank 82. The solvent lmay be passed into the filter via line 88' controlled by valve 58 and line 14. The solvent Vcontaining the washed constituents of the filter cake may also be passed to evaporator 18.-

The solvent vapors from evaporator 81 are passed into line 95 controlled by valve 98 and those1from evaporator 19 are passed into linev line |02 controlled by valve |03, and is pumped by pump |04 into line |05, `controlled byzvalve |06 and is recycled to line 2 or to tank for admixture with thestock to be dewaxed. If desired,

. a portion or all of this wax fraction may bepassed into storage tank- |01 via line |08 controlled by valve 09.

It will be observed that in the foraging `description of the drawing, I have shown only single pieces of apparatus for carrying out the process. It is to be understood that duplicate equipment as, for example, the chilling and mixing column, or chiller or filter, etc., may be provided where necessary which may be operated alternately so carried out more or less ing from such extraction had an A. P. I. gravity of 31.5, a viscosity of 65 seconds Salbolt Universal at 210 F., a pour point of 110 F.'and a wax content of approximately 23%. The waxy rainate wasmlxed with about 1.5% of oxidized wax at a temperature of vabout 250 F.' The resulting mixture was then mixed with abouti volumes of liquid propane at a temperature of about 120 F. and under' a. pressure "of about 250 pounds per square inch. The resulting solution was then gradually chilled to about 40 F.

whereupon substantially all of the wax contained in the oil was crystallized in the solution. Chilling was accomplished by gradually reducing the pressure on the solution and vaporizing propane so as` to obtain a chilling rate of about 3 or 4 F.

per minute. Make-up propane was addedjcontinuously during chilling Vin order to maintain a ratio of about 3 volumes of propane to one of the oil.

- The resulting chilled slurry was then iiltered lmder a differential pressure of about six pounds per square inch to separate'the precipitated wax 45 which -was composed of high melting and low melting point waxes and the oxidized 'wax crystallization regulator. The ltrate 'and the sepl arated slack wax was then de-propanized.

I'he de-propanized wax containing the filteraid Vat a temperature of about 160V F. was then placed in vthe chilling and mixing column provided with agitating paddles and Scrapers and with a water jacket through whichfwater` was circulated at about 150 F. The temperature of 55 the circulating water was then slowly lowered to cool the molten wax at a rate of about 7 F. per hour until a temperature of about 170 F. was

- reached. During cooling, the wax was continually stirred. About 0.1 volume of methyl ethyl ketone was added to the wax during the chilling down to 70 F. At the completion of the chilling,.a` further amount of methyl ethyl ketone was added to bring the total volume up'to about egual that of the wax charge. After continuing the agitation for about twenty minutes, the slurry recycled to the next batch of ramnate to be charged to the propane dewaxing operation. The above operations were repeated for seven times,

that is, the nitrate resulting from the 1e-011mg' treatment of the slack Wax separated from the raiiinate was recycledseven times after being freed of solvent to a new batch of raffinate to be dewaxed.

Upon completion of the run, the de-propanized filtrate from the dewaxing operation was a lubri-- cating oil of S. A. E.v 50 grade, having a pour point of 10 F., and A. P. I. gravity of 30.4, a viscosity of 69 seconds Saybolt Universal at 210 F. and was recovered in a yield of about 77%. The average' filtration rate for all the. batches of propane, raffinate and recycled mixture was about five gallons per square foot of filter area per hour.

Approximately 0.1% of oxidized wax crystallization regulator was usedv based on the total charge,

of raiiinate dewaxed in the presence of propane.

The combined deoiled waxes recovered from the deoiling Ioperation of the slack wax was treated with about 3% of filter clay at 400. F. which -resulted in a water-white wax having a melting point of 153 F. (Galician).` The filtration for all l ofthe batches of slack wax processed was quite rapid, this being at a rate .of ten gallons'per square foot of lter area per .hour based on the solvent-free slack wax. A yieldof about 23% of the oil-free waxwas obtained, the remaining por.

tion of the wax and oil contained in the rainate being in theltrate resulting from the last deoil- `ing operation. 'I'here was no tendency 'for the cake to crack on washing on the filter.` It was observed in the deoiling operations that the deoiled `wax from the rst batch of slack Wax was of higher meltingV point than the wax produced froml the last batch of slack wax, and that the melting point of deoiled waxes from subsequent batchesof slack wax had lower melting points ing points of the deoiled waxes from the batches of slack waxes subsequent to the fourth batch were constant. The reason for this variation in `melting points, as explained above, was due to .low melting point 4waxes as would saturate the solution of solvent and oil. When equilibrium concentrations ofthe solution for the low melting wax fraction was reached, the proportion of low melting waxes in the deoiled wax cake was found to b'e uniform and that the wax produced represented the entire range of Wax fractions present in the original charge.

The deoiled wax was then fractionated into higher melting point and lower melting point wax fractions by dispersion-in aboutv two volumes of methyl ethyl ketone at a temperature of about 110 F.' and filtering the mixture. The ltrate and wax -cake were freed of solvent. From the ltrate, a wax'melting at 120 F. was obtained in an amount representing 30% of the wax processed. The wax cake onthe ltergave a wax melting at 160 F.

The foregoing exemplary description of my invention is not to bevconsidered as limiting since many variations may be made within the scope of the following claims by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim;

Y than the precedingbatches. However, the melt- 1. A process for separating wax from wax-oil oil mixture and diluent to a sufciently low temcontained wax, separating the solution of oil and diluent from the crystallized wax, removing the diluent from the solution and thereby producing a low pour test oil.. heating the separated wax to a suiilciently elevated temperature to remove diluent and to melt said wax, cooling said melted wax at a slow rate and with continual agitation and in the substantial absence of 'solvent to a temperature sufllciently low to crystallize high melting point wax, commingling said cooled wax with a solvent having a low solventl power for the crystallized wax at the prevailing temperature but capable of dissolving oil and lowmelting point wax, 4separating the solution of oil and low melting point wax from the high melting point wax and returning said oil and low melting point wax to wax-oil mixture to be dewaxed according to said first mentioned dewaxing steps.

2. A process for separating wax fromv wax-oil mixtures which comprises dissolving the wax-oil mixture and a crystallization regulator in a diluent, chilling the solution of wax-oil mixture, crystallization regulator and diluent to a sufilciently low `temperature to crystallize substantially all of the contained wax and crystallization regulator, separating the solution of oil and diluent from thecrystallized wax and crystallization regulator, removing the diluent from the solution and thereby producing a low pour test oil, heating the separated wax and crystallization regulator to a suiilciently elevated temperature to remove diluent and to melt said wax, cooling said melted wax at a slow rate and with continual agitation and in the substantial absence of solvent to a temperature suiliciently low to crystallize high melting point wax, commingling said cooled wax with a solvent having a low solvent power for the crystallized Wax at the'prevailing temperature but capable of dissolving oil, the crystallization regulator and low melting point wax, separating the solution of oil, crystallization regula-4 tor and low melting point wax'from the high melting point wax and returning said oil, crystallization regulator and low melting point `wax to wax-oil mixture to be dewaxed according to said rst mentioned dewaxing steps. Y

3. A process for separating wax from wax-oil mixtures which comprises chilling the wax-oil mixture to crystallize the wax, separating the .crystallized wax from the oil, heating -the sep;-

arated wax to a sufiiciently elevated temperature' to melt said wax, cooling said melted wax at a slow rate and with continual agitation to a temperature suiliciently low to crystallize high melting point wax, commingling said cooled wax with a solvent having a low solvent power for the crystallized wax at the prevailing temperature but capable of dissolving oil and low melting point wax', separating the solution of oil and low melting point wax from the high melting point wax and returning said oil and low melting point wax to wax-oil mixture to be dewaxed according to`i l said first-mentioned dewaxing steps.

4.A process for separating wax from wax-oil mixtures which comprises chilling said wax bearing oil to a temperature sufficiently low to crystallize substantially allof the contained wax, separating the oil from the crystallized wax, heating the separated wax to a temperature sulciently high to melt said wax, cooling said melted wax at a slow rate and with continual agitation .and in the substantial absence of solvent to a. temperature suillciently low to crystallize high melting point wax, commingling said cooled wax with a solvent having a low solvent power for the crystallized wax at the prevailing temperature but capable of dissolving oil and low melting point wax, separating the solution of oil and low meltingl point wax from the high meltingpoint wax and returning said oil and low melting point wax to wax-oil mixture to be dewaxed according to said iirst mentioned dewaxing steps.

5. A process as in claim 4 in which said high DONALD E. CARR. 

